Carton erecting and closing machine

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR ERECTING AND SUBSEQUENTLY CLOSING AT LEAST ONE END OF KNOCKED DOWN CARTONS OF THE TYPE HAVING AN END CLOSED BY FLAP COMPONENTS FORMED AS EXTENSIONS OF AT LEAST TWO OPPOSITELY DISPOSED PANELS OF THE CARTON BODY AND INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE LOCKING TAB ELEMENT ON ONE OF SAID FLAP COMPONENTS INSERTABLE THROUGH COMPLEMENTARY SLIT MEANS IN THE OTHER OF SAID FLAP COMPONENTS FOR INTERLOCKING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH; SAID MACHINE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A FRAME STRUCTURE, AN OPEN BOTTOM HOPPER MEANS FOR CONTAINING A SUPPLY OF KNOCKED DOWN CARTONS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME STRUCTURE, A PAIR OF ENDLESS FLEXIBLE MEMBERS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME STRUCTURE IN HORIZONTALLY LATERALLY SPACED, PARALLEL RELATION TO EACH OTHER FOR SYNCHRONOUS, UNIDIRECTIONAL MOVEMENT ALONG A HORIZONTAL PATH HAVING ONE END THEREOF DISPOSED AT THE UNDER SIDE OF SAID HOPPER MEANS AND THENCE EXTENDING TO THE DISCHARGE END OF THE MACHINE, POWER ACTUATED MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBERS, CARTON EDGE ENGAGING MEMBERS CARRIED BY SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBERS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE EDGE OF THE LOWERMOST ONE OF A STACK OF CARTONS IN SAID HOPPER MEANS AND MOVE IT FROM BENEATH THE HOPPER MEANS, SPRING BIASED MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME STRUCTURE AND DISPOSED BENEATH SAID HOPPER MEANS EFFECTIVE TO ENGAGE SAID CARTON ENGAGING MEMBERS DURING THE EXCURSION THEREOF BENEATH THE STACK OF CARTONS AND TO EXERT YIELDING UPWARD PRESSURE OF SAID MEMBERS TO INSURE THE ENGAGEMENT THEREOF WITH THE SAID LOWERMOST CARTON, OTHER CARTON ENGAGING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBERS COOPERATING WITH SAID FIRST NAMED MEMBERS TO CARRY A CARTON ENGAGED THEREBETWEEN TO SAID DISCHARGE END OF THE MACHINE, AND CARTON END CLOSING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME STRUCTURE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND INTERFOLD THE FLAP COMPONENTS OF SAID TWO PANELS AND TO PROJECT THE TAB ELEMENT OF SAID ONE FLAP COMPONENT THROUGH THE SLIT MEANS OF AND INTO INTERLOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OTHER FLAP COMPONENT.